This invention relates to venting of musical drums, and more particularly concerns ways to allow the drummer or percussionist to adjust and control or modulate the air flow and vibration that exits or remains inside the drum, thus altering the response, sensitivity, resonance and tone of the drum. The invention also concerns establishing a threshold which, when achieved, will result inventing self-actuation. The invention can be used on a variety of percussive instruments such as snare drums, tom toms, bass drums and tympani and on drum heads.